A Guide to the The Senator John J. Marchi Papers, 1956-1998

Archives & Special Collections
College of Staten Island Library, CUNY
2800 Victory Blvd., 1L-216
Staten Island, NY 10314

© 2003 The College of Staten Island, CUNY

Finding Aid by Mary Hedge, Catherine Carson & Jeffrey Kroessler

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Overview of the Collection
Collection No. :	PM-1
Title:	Senator John J. Marchi Papers
Creator:	John J. Marchi
Dates:	1956-1998
Extent:	65 Linear Feet
Abstract:	First elected in 1956, Republican John J. Marchi (1921-2009) served in the New York State Senate until 2006 and was also a New York City mayoral candidate in 1969 and 1973. During his tenure he served as Chairman of the Affairs of the City of New York Committee and the Finance Committee. Marchi presided over the Finance Committee during the city's fiscal crisis in the 1970's and was instrumental in creating the Emergency Financial Control Board and the Municipal Assistance Corporation. He also worked for school reform and chaired the Temporary State Commission on New York City School Governance in 1989. He introduced legislation to create a separate city of Staten Island after the United States Supreme Court declared the New York City Board of Estimate to be unconstitutional in 1989. Marchi also introduced legislation in 1996 requiring the closure of the Fresh Kills Landfill by January 1, 2002. Marchi was named Assistant Majority Whip in 2003 and was also recognized by the National Conference of State Legislatures as the longest serving legislator (at all levels) in America. The collection contains correspondence, reports, news clippings, press releases, legislative bills and extensive subject files. There is also extensive material related to Marchi's mayoral campaigns. The subject files are particularly strong on issues such as Staten Island Secession, Charter Commission for Staten Island, the South Richmond Plan, Abortion, Temporary State Commission on New York City School Governance, Taxation, Transportation, Education and the Fresh Kills Landfill.

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

The Senator John J. Marchi Papers, Archives & Special Collections, Department of the Library, College of Staten Island, CUNY, Staten Island, New York.

Acquisition

Senator John J. Marchi donated his papers to the College of Staten Island in 1999.

Additional materials are expected for this collection.

Processing Information

Collection processed by Mary Hedge, Jennifer Crebs, Catherine N. Carson and Cortney Riley.

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Restrictions

Access

Access to this record group is unrestricted.

Copyright Notice

The researcher assumes full responsibility for compliance with laws of copyright. Requests for permission to publish material from this collection should be discussed with the Coordinator of Archives & Special Collections.

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Biographical Sketch

John J. Marchi, the son of Louis and Alina Marchi, was born on May 20, 1921, in Staten Island, New York. He graduated from Manhattan College with first honors in 1942, later receiving a Juris Doctor from St. John's University School of Law and Doctor of Judicial Science from Brooklyn Law School in 1953. He engaged in the general practice of law with offices on Staten Island and has lectured extensively to Italian jurists at the request of the State Department. Marchi served in the Coast Guard and Navy during World War II and was on combat duty in the Atlantic and Pacific theatres of war. Marchi also served as a Commander in the Active Reserve after the war, retiring from the service in 1982.

John J. Marchi was first elected to the New York State Senate in the 1956 General Election. As a Senator, he quickly rose to influential Senate positions through the chairmanship of many standing and joint committees, including Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on the City of New York. In 1966, he was elected as a Delegate to the Constitutional Convention and chaired the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Constitutional Issues. That same year, Senator Marchi was named Chairman of the New York State Joint Legislative Committee on Interstate Cooperation, the oldest joint legislative committee in the Legislature. Other senior state government leadership positions followed, and this focus on state government relations and the City of New York permeated Senator Marchi's career for the next few decades.

In 1969, Marchi decided to challenge John V. Lindsay's re-election campaign, announcing that he would run a primary campaign to obtain the Republican Party's endorsement that would allow him to run for Mayor in the General Election of that year. Senator Marchi ran on a platform of fighting crime, reducing welfare rolls, court reform, and a general clean-up of New York City - positions that were in keeping with those of the Conservative Party, on whose party line he also ran, as well as conservative members of the Republican Party. However, liberals also credited him with running an intelligent, non-rancorous campaign. He won the Republican primary and went on to challenge Lindsay once more in the General Election. This time, Marchi was defeated, but he returned in 1973 to once more conduct a mayoral campaign. Losing again in the General Election, Marchi resumed his work in the New York State Senate, where he served as the Chairman of the Finance Committee and a ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Throughout the 1970s, Senator Marchi was at the forefront of issues such as reform of the New York City School system, educational change, transportation improvement, and crime prevention. His position as Chairman of the Finance Committee made him instrumental in dealing with New York City's mid-seventies fiscal crisis, and he provided leadership in the establishment of the Emergency Financial Control Board and the Municipal Assistance Corporation. The chairman's position also provided him with the ability to channel funds to many arts and cultural institutions on Staten Island, in particular the Snug Harbor Cultural Center. He also played a critical role in securing funds for mental health programs on the Island, and joined his fellow Island legislators in the nascent movement to deal with local environmental problems.

The Senate Finance Committee also brought about important change under Senator Marchi's leadership. Marchi sponsored the bill that modernized New York State's reporting and bookkeeping practices. The Finance Committee also gained greater power to review and assess the Executive budget and ancillary programs and introduced better methods of economic forecasting. Overall, these changes allowed for more clear and accurate views of the state's financial picture, and gave the Legislature more power in the budget process.

In the 1980s, one issue dominated the agenda of Marchi and his constituents: the secession movement. In 1983, a lawsuit challenged the legality of New York City's Board of Estimate as violating the "one-man one vote" democratic principle. The successful challenge left Staten Island and its 350,000 population with much reduced representation in city government. Marchi decided immediately to promote changing Staten Island from a borough of New York City to a separate county or city. For the next decade and a half, Senator Marchi led legal challenges, built a popular movement, succeeded in persuading the State of New York to approve and fund a Charter Commission for Staten Island, and forced New York City to hold a special referendum for Island residents on secession. The secession movement and the Charter Commission for Staten Island gained considerable momentum, and though it was ultimately defeated, Marchi's reputation as a thoughtful, deliberate, erudite leader only grew.

Marchi also continued his work to improve public education in the 1980s. Marchi was appointed as Chairman of the Temporary State Commission on New York City School Governance in 1989. This commission conducted a two-year study on the control and governance in New York City schools and provided recommendations to the New York State Legislature on improving administration and public participation in the school system. Senator Marchi also provided assistance to the College of Staten Island so that the school could obtain the land of the former Willowbrook State School for a campus.

In the 1990s, Senator Marchi succeeded in raising the profile of the Island's environmental issues and securing funds to resolve them. Of particular note was Marchi's legislation (1996) to close the Fresh Kills landfill by January 1, 2002. More recently, Senator Marchi was also appointed to head the Senate Task Force on World Trade Center Recovery after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Marchi was named Assistant Majority Whip in 2003 and continued to serve on several standing committees including Corporations, Authorities and Commissions (which he previously chaired); Cities; Environmental Conservation; Finance; Investigations and Government Operations; Judiciary and Rules. Senator Marchi was also recognized by the National Conference of State Legislatures as being the longest serving legislator in America at any level of government. He was also a member of numerous religious, veterans, professional and civic associations, including the Richmond County and American Bar Associations and the American Judicature Society.

Senator Marchi passed away on April 25, 2009 while vacationing in Lucca, Italy. He is survived by his wife, the former Maria Luisa Davini of Lucca, Italy, two daughters, Aline and Joan, two granddaughters, Stefania and Francesca and a great-grandson, Giuseppe.

Chronology
	1921	Born on Staten Island, son of Louis and Alina Marchi, on May 20.
	1942	Graduated from Manhattan College with first honors and received the Cardinal Hayes Award for scholastic achievement and campus leadership.
	WW II	Served in United States Coast Guard and saw action in the North Atlantic and Okinawa.
	1948	Married Maria Luisa Davini in her home town of Lucca, Italy, November 14.
	1949	Graduated from St. John's Law School, Juris Doctor.
	1952	Narrowly lost bid for Republican nomination for the State Assembly to Edward Amann in county committee.
	1953	Graduated from Brooklyn Law School, Doctor of Juridical Science.
		Served in Albany as counsel to John Macdonald, senator from Staten Island, for two years.
	1956	Elected to the State Senate in his first run for elective office (total vote: 81,001):                                                                                                             Marchi Rep. 44,159 (54.5%) Edward V. Curry Dem. 36,842
	1958	Re-elected to the Senate (total vote 66,375):                                                                                                             Marchi Rep. United Taxpayers Total 35,505 918 36,423 (54.9%) Edmund J. Murphy Dem. 28,298                            George Maki Lib. 1,645
	1960	Re-elected to the Senate (total vote 87,186):                                                                                                             Marchi Rep. 49,716 (57%) Ralph DiIorio Dem. 34,604                            George Maki Lib. 2,866
		Named chairman of the Joint Legislative Committee formed to study the state's liquor laws.
	1961	As chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce and Navigation, proposed and was named chairman of the Joint Legislative Committee on New York City Docks in February; resigned in July, citing his race for borough president and his desire to keep the investigation "out of the realm of partisan politics."
		Lost race for borough president to incumbent Albert V. Maniscalco (total vote 73,161):                                                                                                             Marchi Rep. 35,632 (48.7%) Maniscalco Dem. Lib. Brotherhood Total 31,264 4,508 1,757 37,529
	1962	Re-elected to the Senate (total vote 72,987):                                                                                                             Marchi Rep. 42,659 (58.4%) Aldo R. Benedetto Dem. Lib. Total 27,485 2,843 30,328
	1963	Became Chairman of the Senate's Committee on the City of New York.
	1964	David Jaffe became Senator Marchi's counsel; his first project was the investigation of the Mobilization for Youth, an anti-poverty program, for mismanagement and communist influence.
		As chairman of the Joint Legislative Committee investigating the Alcoholic Beverages Control Law, Marchi blocked the measure supported by Governor Rockefeller, resulting in a special session which passed a compromise bill.
		Re-elected to the Senate, receiving the Conservative Party (founded 1962) endorsement for the first time (total vote 88,952):                                                                                                             Marchi Rep. Cons. Total 42,912 5,986 48,898 (55%) Joseph J. Holzka Dem. Lib. Total 38,219 1,835 40,054
		Democrats took the State Senate in the Johnson landslide, the only time Marchi was in the minority in Albany.
		Became a member of the Executive Committee and Board of Governors of the Council of State Governments.
		Following implementation of a new court-ordered reapportionment plan, all legislators had to run again. The Republicans regained control of the State Senate after one year of a Democratic majority. Marchi was easily reelected (total vote 84,567):                                                                                                             Marchi Rep. Cons. Total 41,140 11,110 55,250 (65.3%) Vito Titone Dem. 25,933                            Ferdinand Cubas Lib. 3,384
	1966	Became Chairman of Joint Legislative Committee on Interstate Cooperation.
		Elected delegate to the 1967 state constitutional convention; chaired Senate Judiciary Sub-Committee on Constitutional Issues for research and issue development for the convention.
		Re-elected to the Senate (total vote 75,780):                                                                                                             Marchi Rep. Cons. Total 37,221 13,784 50,905 (67.2%) Vito T. Titone Dem. 21,296                            Pearse O'Callaghan Lib. 3,579
	1967	Served as delegate to the state constitutional convention.
	1968	Received Commander of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Italy from the Italian President and Prime Minister, the highest award given to non-citizens.
		Re-elected to the Senate (total vote 98,050):                                                                                                             Marchi Rep. Cons. Total 41,855 14,820 56,675 (57.8%) Daniel D. Leddy Dem. 38,696                            Herman Zukowsky Lib. 2,679
	1969	Defeated incumbent John Lindsay by 6,000 votes in the primary to win the Republican nomination for mayor (113,698 - 107,366). Mario Procaccino was the Democratic nominee, winning the primary over Robert Wagner, Herman Badillo, James Scheuer, and Norman Mailer with less than a third of the vote. In November Lindsay won re-election running on the Liberal line.                                                                                                             Marchi Rep./Cons. 542,411 (22%) Procaccino Dem. 831,772 (36%) John V. Lindsay Lib./Ind. 1,012,633 (42%)
	1970	Robert Straniere became counsel to Senator Marchi, serving until he was elected to the Assembly in 1980. Straniere had first worked for the Senator in 1963.
		Robert Straniere became counsel to Senator Marchi, serving until he was elected to the Assembly in 1980. Straniere had first worked for the Senator in 1963. After briefly considering a run against Republican Senator Charles Goodell, Marchi supported Conservative James Buckley, in part because of Goodell's opposition to the war in Vietnam.
		Re-elected to the Senate (total vote 93,441):                                                                                                             Marchi Rep. Cons. Total 46,366 22,209 68,575 (73.4%) Edward T. Pulaski Dem. 20,381                            Norma E. Casey Lib. 4,485
		Spoke out publicly against Joseph A. Colombo and the Italian-American Civil Rights League and their claim that the Mafia was a fiction.
		Received Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, from St. John's University on May 28.
		Kate Rooney began working for Senator Marchi as an intern; she later became his counsel, following Straniere.
	1972	On February 28 Marchi announced that he had introduced legislation to create the New South Richmond Development Corporation for the development of more than 10,000 acres in the southern part of Staten Island; 12 new communities to be developed by the Rouse Corporation for 400,000 residents; the 20-year plan called for $6.5 billion in public and private funds, including $530 million commitment from the city for infrastructure; it was not introduced into the Assembly due to opposition from SI Republicans Edward Amann and Lucio Russo.
		About 300 "Friends of John Marchi" gathered at the Shalimar in New Dorp for a dinner in his honor on April 7th. William F. Buckley was the featured speaker, and his brother, United States Senator James Buckley, also attended. Dan Master and members of the Conservative Party protested outside.
		Appointed by President Nixon in October to National Advisory Committee on Drug Abuse Prevention (the only state legislator appointed).
		Because of the South Richmond plan, realtor Daniel Master, vice chairman of the Conservative Party on Staten Island, ran against Marchi; endorsed by New York Times, the Advance, and Sen. James Buckley, Marchi was easily re-elected (total vote 107,057; highest turnout for any of his re-elections):                                                                                                             Marchi Rep. 56,960 (53.2%) Pasquale Bifulco Dem. 28,544                            Daniel Master Cons. 18,573                            Norma Cossey Lib. 2,980
	1973	Became chairman of the Senate Finance Committee in January, succeeding Warren Anderson, who succeeded Earl Brydges as Majority Leader.
		The South Richmond bill passed the State Senate but was again defeated in the Assembly. Marchi announced he would not re-introduce the measure.
		Received degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, from Manhattan College.
		Republican nominee for mayor; in a 4-way race Democrat Abe Beame defeated Marchi, Liberal Al Blumenthal, and Conservative Mario Biaggi. The Conservatives denied Marchi their endorsement because of the South Richmond plan, and he received only nominal support from Governor Rockefeller.                                                                                                             Marchi Rep. 276,575 (16%) Abe Beame Dem. 961,130 (56%) Mario Biaggi Cons. 189,986 (11%) Al Blumenthal Lib. 265,297 (15%)
	1974	Received degree of Doctor of Laws from Wagner College.
		Re-elected to the Senate (total vote 78,564):                                                                                                             Marchi Rep. Cons. Total 32,759 11,727 44,486 (56.6%) Pasquale P. Caiazza Dem. 34,078
	1975	As chairman of the Finance Committee, Senator Marchi played a key role in writing and passing the legislation which created the Emergency Financial Control Board and the Municipal Assistance Corporation, which saved the city from bankruptcy
	1976	New York State Veterans of Foreign Wars bestowed on him the Silver Commendation medal for "Legislative service to veterans and all New Yorkers."
		Appointed by Governor Carey to the newly created State Public Authorities Control Board, established to protect public authorities during the fiscal crisis.
		Re-elected to the Senate (total vote 101,231):                                                                                                             Marchi Rep. Cons. Total 43,507 10,076 53,583 (52.9%) Ralph J. Lamberti Dem. 45,679                            Ernest A. Kaarsberg Lib. 1,969
	1977	In November the State Court of Appeals declared all but one portion of the state's death penalty law unconstitutional. Legislation to restore and expand capital punishment was passed, but vetoed by Governor Carey. Carey vetoed similar legislation in each successive year of his administration. John Marchi opposed capital punishment, and voted to uphold the veto.
		Received B'nai B'rith Public Service Award.
		Re-elected to the Senate in his closest campaign; his opposition to the death penalty nearly cost him the election (total vote 74,777):                                                                                                             Marchi Rep. Cons. Total 30,687 7,891 38,578 (51.6%) Robert J. Gigante Dem. 34,675                            Carl F. Grillo Lib. 1,524
	1980	In January Mayor Koch announced that he would support John Marchi for re-election and secured the Democratic Party endorsement for him.
		Marchi was the only Republican in either the Senate or the Assembly to uphold Gov. Carey's veto of the death penalty.
		Received the degree of Juris Doctor from St. John's School of Law.
		Re-elected to the Senate with the Democratic nomination for the first time (total vote 99,296):                                                                                                             Marchi Rep. Dem. Cons. RTL Total 40,227 38,687 9,512 5,000 93,426 (94.1%) Carl F. Grillo Lib. 5,870
	1981	Though personally opposed to abortion, Senator Marchi voted against a bill that would have banned the use of Medicaid funds for abortions because it would have limited the options of the poor while having no effect on those with the means to pay.
		Marita Messenheimer, Senator Marchi's dedicated secretary, retired; she first met Marchi in 1953 when he was counsel to Senator Macdonald, and became his secretary when he began his first term in January 1957.
	1982	Appointed first permanent member of the Executive Committee of the Council of State Governments.
		Re-elected to the Senate (total vote 63,095):                                                                                                             Marchi Rep./Dem./Cons. 58,338 (92.5%) Joseph F. Sully Lib. 1,515                            Barbara Bollaert RTL 3,242
	1983	Retired from the active reserve of the Coast Guard with the rank of Commander.
		Received Citation from Association of Colleges and Universities of the State of New York for efforts on behalf of higher education in the state.
	1984	Re-elected to the Senate (total vote 100,756):                                                                                                             Marchi Rep. Dem. Cons Total 52,789 34,119 8,638 95,546 (94.8%) Joseph F. Sully Lib. 2,259                            Barbara Bollaert RTL 2,951
	1985	Secured $7 million in state dollars for design of the new campus of the College of Staten Island (a merger of Richmond College and Staten Island Community College) at the former State institution at Willowbrook.
		Senator Marchi and Assemblyman Kremer were unsuccessful in their defense of Vito Castellano, head of the State Guard, and their effort to obtain a better pension for him in recognition of his long service.
		A strong supporter of the Navy's proposed Homeport on Staten Island, Senator Marchi, with his counsel Kate Rooney, prepared legal briefs which successfully blocked a city-wide referendum on the issue. The Homeport opened in 1989 and closed in 1994.
	1986	Re-elected to the Senate, taking the Liberal line at the request of his old friend Pearse O'Callaghan (total vote 56,607, lowest turnout until 2002):                                                                                                             Marchi Rep. Dem. Lib. Total 22,438 25,214 1,581 49,233 (87%) Michael V. Ajello Cons. 5,545                            Barbara Bollaert RTL 1,829
	1987	Received Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Wagner College.
		Underwent first angioplasty procedure.
	1988	Re-elected to the Senate (total vote 95,250):                                                                                                             Marchi Rep. Dem. Lib. Total 44,247 35,676 1,616 81,539 (85.6%) Albert P. DeLillo Cons. 11,603                            Barbara Bollaert RTL 2,108
		With Warren Anderson retiring, the Republicans selected Ralph Marino as majority leader on December 1.
	1989	For not supporting Marino's bid for majority leader, Marchi lost the chairmanship of the Finance Committee and was replaced by Tarky Lombardi, Jr. of Syracuse. He was appointed Vice President Pro Tempore of the State Senate.
		State of New York Charter Commission for Staten Island formed, with John Marchi as chairman.
		Underwent prostate surgery on July 12.
		The 11-member Temporary State Commission on New York City School Governance held its organizational meeting and elected John Marchi chairman and Assemblyman Jose Serrano of the Bronx vice chairman.
	1990	Re-elected to the Senate (total vote 57,749):                                                                                                             Marchi Rep./Dem./Lib. 47,250 (81.8%) George Boncoraglio Cons. 7,471                            Barbara Bollaert RTL 3,028
		Staten Islanders voted to study secession by a 4 to 1 margin.
	1991	Named Chairman of the 13-member Staten Island Charter Commission in March after voters approved secession measure on the ballot the previous November.
		Temporary State Commission on New York City School Governance, known as the Marchi Commission, issued its final report on April 4, recommending an increased number of school districts and other reforms.
		Underwent his second angioplasty procedure in June.
	1992	Received the Filippo Mazzei Award from the Italian government for strengthening ties between Italy and the United States.
		Re-elected to the Senate (total vote 91,029):                                                                                                             Marchi Rep. Dem. Lib. Total 46,284 36,744 2,070 85,098 (93.5%) Barbara Bollaert RTL 5,931
	1993	Staten Islanders approved proposed charter for City of Staten Island by two to one margin on November 2.
	1994	Challenged in a Democratic primary for the first time by Eugene Prisco, a drug counselor and education activist: Marchi: 7,687 (77%), Prisco 2,338 (23%).
		Re-elected to the Senate in the general election (total vote 75,550):                                                                                                             Marchi Rep. Dem. Lib. Total 37,667 28,248 1,369 67,284 (89.1%) Ralph J. Rubinek Cons. 5,713                            Barbara Bollaert RTL 2,553
		On November 25 Majority Leader Ralph Marino stepped down under pressure and the Republicans selected Joseph Bruno. Marchi stood behind Marino.
	1995	After standing with Marino, Marchi lost his position as Vice President Pro Tempore; named Chairman of the Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions and Deputy Majority Leader for Intergovernmental Affairs.
	1996	Pushed for and saw signed into law legislation mandating the closure of the Fresh Kills Landfill by January 1, 2002. This came more than 40 years after the legislature passed Senator Marchi's bill to close Fresh Kills, only to have it vetoed by Governor W. Averell Harriman.
		Measure to create the City of Staten Island passed the Senate, but Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver refused to permit a vote until he received a home rule message from the city, effectively blocking further movement on secession.
		Re-elected to the Senate (total vote 79,199):                                                                                                             Marchi Rep./Dem./Lib. 70,870 (89.5%) Ralph J. Rubinek Cons./RTL 6,547                            Janet Rispoli Independence 1,782
	1998	Re-elected to the Senate (total vote 63,090):                                                                                                             Marchi Rep./Dem./Cons. 60,842 (96.4%) Maria D. Colon Independence 1,321                            Jody Magnasco Lib. 927
	1999	Introduced legislation with Assemblywoman Elizabeth Connelly to permit "right on red" on Staten Island; Senate counsel determined that legislation would require approval of City Council.
	2000	Introduced legislation to address the rising cost of prescription drugs.
		The archive at the College of Staten Island, the repository for Senator Marchi's papers, was officially dedicated on October 5.
		Ran for reelection to the Senate as the nation's longest serving state legislator (total vote 94,352):                                                                                                             Marchi Rep./Dem./Cons. 91,110 (96.2%) Henry Bardel Green Independence Working Families 3,242 (3.8%)
	2002	For the first time since 1980 Marchi did not receive the nomination of the Democratic Party, but was easily reelected nonetheless (total vote 53,240).                                                                                                             Marchi Rep. Cons. Total 34,864 4,624 39,488 (74%) Michael J. Cocozza Dem. Working Families Veterans Total 12,784 597 371 13,752
	2006	John Marchi retires from the New York State Senate.
	2009	John Marchi passes away on April 25th at the age of 87.

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Scope & Content Note

The John J. Marchi collection comprises approximately 65 linear feet of material, from c. 1958-2000. (There is one item that pre-dates Marchi's legislative career - a 1942 student paper titled "The Zenger Case" for a class in American Constitutional History. It has been placed with the Biographical files). The core of the collection is the subject file collection; it dates primarily from the 1960s-1990s. With one exception, the collection reflects the activities of Senator Marchi's Albany office. There is one box, however, that appears to have been created in the Senator's local Staten Island office.

Subject Files comprise some two thirds of the collection. (Approximately 44 linear feet.) They are arranged in alphabetical order, by folder title. These files document the activities and priorities of Senator Marchi and closely reflect his leadership roles. For example, as Chairman of the Finance Committee (1973-1989), Marchi oversaw the annual production and approval of the Executive Budget; there are copies of the official budgets as well as correspondence that show the tensions and party politics surrounding its production.

Another important topic within Subject Files is Education. Senator Marchi made education, from elementary to college, an important focus. He sat on, or chaired committees that examined a variety of educational issues from school decentralization to public school funding. He was instrumental in the formation of the College of Staten Island, and played a role in oversight of CUNY operations. From 1989-1991, Senator Marchi chaired the "Temporary State Commission on New York City School Governance" and along with a copy of the final report are correspondence and newspaper clippings.

The senator's major priority was, of course, Staten Island: its residents and its institutions. From the 1950s to the present, Senator Marchi funneled millions of dollars to Staten Island institutions, from the Staten Island Zoo and the Staten Island Children's Museum to The Learning Institute Jewish Community Center, and Korean-Americans Senior Citizen Center. His relationships with Staten Island institutions are well documented in his papers.

The largest collection of papers within Subject Files is the one covering the possible secession of Staten Island from the City of New York. Beginning with the successful challenge to the New York City Board of Estimate, Marchi's papers document the legal challenges, public campaign and legislative lobbying efforts from 1983 to the establishment of the Charter Commission for Staten Island in March 1991. From that date, there are extensive records on Public Hearings with transcripts of meetings, minutes of meetings, reports to the Commission on education, housing, a new political structure, and financial implications. There is also correspondence between the Commission members, constituents, and other elected officials, including the Mayor of the City of New York and the Governor of New York State. In addition, there are copies of the actual Charter document produced by the Commission. The records begin to wind down in 1995.

Over the decades, Marchi heard from his constituents on everything from bus schedules to senior citizens and social security to support and dissent on Marchi's legislative agenda. There is a separate records series for this correspondence; it comprises 3.5 linear feet.

Many of the files provide an insight into the inner workings of a state legislature but the series "Legislative Files" provide most in-depth coverage. They consist of correspondence, bill action registers, legislative introductory records, bills, memoranda of support and press clippings. The files have been divided into three subseries: Legislative Correspondence, Bills, and Voting and Attendance records. Within Legislative Correspondence there are both alphabetical and chronological organizations. To respect the original order, a group of files with the folder heading "Legislative Files" are organized by year, 1970-1973 and 1991. Others are organized alphabetically by topic. There are two boxes of material on legislative activities and public school education, and these are organized chronologically. There are several boxes of transcripts of debates on important bills: Death Penalty, Education, Abortion, and Under-Age Drinking. The series total is 5 linear feet.

The Marchi Papers contain only Marchi's partial voting records on major issues from 1957-1969.

Senator Marchi's Media Files contain six subseries, totaling some 4 linear feet: Press Releases and Statements, (1974-1994), Newsletters and Mailings (1974-1988, and a few from later years), Speeches (1983-1987), Press Clippings (1971-2001), and a few Video and Audio Tapes. The Press Releases subseries may be the most valuable as they document Marchi's public policy positions, as well as reactions to issues of the day. The Press Clippings subseries is the most extensive one. It covers, in great detail, all the activities of Senator Marchi, local Staten Island issues, and political figures, and often provides context and background for complex legislative proceedings. The Press Clippings are organized primarily by subject: e.g. "Mental Health," "Budget," and "Wetlands," though some are organized by year, with no regard for subject. The Newsletter files contain only a few newsletters: mostly they contain clippings and other reference materials that Marchi's staff used as content for the published newsletters.

A series has been designated as Senator Marchi's Personal Files. (Approximately 2 linear feet). Included in this category are Appointment Books, Guest Books and Daily Schedules, Invitations Accepted and Declined, and Biographical Files. The Biographical Files, in addition to containing "snapshot" biographies, also include histories of bills or legislation that Marchi sponsored or co-sponsored.

Contained in the Campaigns series are the records of Senator Marchi's back-to-back campaigns for Mayor of New York City in 1969 and 1973 (approximately 7 linear feet). There is also a little bit of material on Marchi's Senate campaigns, but this is quite sparse. The Mayoral campaign material is quite rich, however. It contains campaign literature, press clippings, donor records, "issue" papers, schedules and correspondence with supporters and fellow legislators. Additional daily schedules from the 1973 Mayoral Campaign can be found in the Personal Files series. There is also one oversize box that contains two Campaign posters from the 1973 Mayoral Campaign. The collection also provides both a wider and more in-depth view of John J. Marchi - he articulated and published his positions on a variety of issues, and was interviewed by the media extensively, as was his family.

The Photographs series is arranged chronologically and includes photographs from the 1960's - 1990's. There are also a few photographs from the World War II era.

There are a few items of memorabilia - plaques, proclamations and a statuette.

The materials in the Marchi Papers will be supplemented by an oral history project currently in progress at the College of Staten Island.

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Arrangement

The Senator John J. Marchi papers are divided into eight series and several subseries:

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Index Terms

This collection is indexed under the following terms. Manuscipt collections are not included in the College of Staten Island's library catalog at this time.

Subject Names

Subject Topics

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Series Descriptions & Container Listing